Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 1 SC456417 Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to care for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered at the home since June 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 November 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2018 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 09/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 3

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) This relates to ensuring that children’s views are included in the review of the quality of care.  It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4). This relates to ensuring that a full record is kept of the discussions in supervision, to show reflections on children’s experiences, progress and support plans.  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there, and the

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Recommendations

impact care is having on outcomes and improvements for children. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weaknesses in the home’s care, which is captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 64 and 65, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people feel very at home and cared for in the extremely nurturing and supportive atmosphere created by the staff team. Since the arrival of the new manager, the home has undergone an extensive programme of redecoration. Young people have enjoyed being part of the ‘design team’, are proud of their home, and enthusiastically showed the inspector how they have personalised their bedrooms to their taste.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people spoke very highly of their new team of staff, with whom they have formed warm and very positive relationships. When asked about the changes, one young person said, ‘Every box I wanted… has been filled,’ and, ‘My social worker can see I’m much happier – and my family.’ Young people clearly feel loved, listened to and valued within the home. They benefit from the different philosophical approach implemented by the new manager. They are flourishing and have a greater sense of stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is a new approach to rewards and incentives in place, with positive results. For Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 4 example, young people who were struggling in their attendance at school, or had been excluded, now attend on a regular basis. The home carefully plans for young people to help them reintegrate into school settings. Staff consistently promote the importance of education for young people’s futures. If a young person’s attendance falters, meetings are immediately arranged to overcome any barriers. A special educational needs coordinator said that the home initiates ideas and represents the young person’s views well, communicating daily to help plan for reintegration. Another young person did well in mock exams because of the communication between the home and school, which ensured that all revision aids and support were in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people enjoy good physical and emotional health and attend their health appointments. Staff support them to access external services for their emotional well- being. Staff encourage them to try new foods to broaden their diets, so that their nutrition improves. One young person’s diet has improved considerably and is thoughtfully managed to enable them to try out new foods.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff plan care sensitively, prioritising and taking additional needs into account, so that young people do not become overwhelmed by too many changes. Carers foster positive friendships with young people from another of the provider’s homes, to encourage greater participation in activities and confidence in social skills. Staff ensure that young people spend time with family members and other significant people safely, overseeing this as directed. Staff build good relationships with family members, and hold open discussions with all parties, which gives young people the confidence to self-determine their level of contact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The provider has its own programme to support young people to develop their independent living skills so that they are prepared for when they transition towards adulthood. Young people are fully involved in their planning process, and staff ensure that their voices are heard. This has meant that one young person’s care plan has changed to remain living at the home. Another young person has moved to another of the provider’s homes because this better meets his educational needs, as well as being closer to family members with whom he has regular contact.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Young people said that they feel very safe because they have developed strong relationships with staff, with whom they feel able to discuss any worries. They feel supported if incidents happen at school and know staff will make sure they are addressed. One young person said that there were ‘not many rules’ in the home, and that they were ‘strict, but fair’.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The staff team has focused on understanding young people’s needs and risks. The staff skilfully use direct work to help young people to understand any concerns about their behaviour. They help them to find better solutions to managing their emotions. Effective and consistent boundaries and positive behaviour strategies are in place. Young people respond well to their incentives, so that they receive numerous rewards and negative consequences are rare. Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 5 All young people are consulted about their individual risk management plans and enter their own views in their records, so that they understand any changes when their plans are reviewed. A social worker commented that the home is very proactive about assessing risks, including child sexual exploitation. If any concerns are raised, for example about the use of social media, staff work closely with the young person and

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

their social worker to decide how this will be managed. Young people therefore understand any restrictions put on internet use and are happy to let staff check their mobile phones, because they know this is to keep them safe. As a result, young people work towards meeting expectations of how to use social media safely, and concerns regarding exploitation reduce.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

It is extremely rare for young people to go missing. However, staff fully demonstrate their understanding of the procedures they need to follow if a young person does not return when they are expected. Associated risks of being missing, such as alcohol or drug misuse, do not occur. Young people attend training with the staff team to become aware of potential hazards to their safety, such as county lines. This equips them with knowledge of how they might be exploited, particularly when they move on to their own independent accommodation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The arrangements for administration and recording of young people’s medication is robust. Staff understand the additional procedures to follow for any controlled medication, and regular management oversight is evident. One young person has settled so well that medication to support better sleep has been reduced. The home is also awaiting written authority to reduce a controlled medication dose, as the young person is better able to self-regulate their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is the second of the provider’s homes for which the highly-motivated and experienced manager is now registered. In the short time under her leadership, her team has focused on prioritising the needs of young people and embedding a new practice ethos. There is a shared expectation and dedication to improve young people’s lives. The team’s high aspirations for young people are evident in the way young people respond to fulfil their potential. Close collaborative work with other professionals and family members supports positive outcomes. The manager robustly challenges placing authorities if there are any shortfalls in delivery of services, including accurate relevant plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff said they are extremely well supported by the manager, and value the opportunities to develop professionally, through a well-managed training programme. The manager ensures that all staff receive training to support understanding of specific needs of young people. Newer staff benefit from peer support during their probationary period to enable them to develop their skills with confidence. Staff who do not already hold an appropriate qualification are enrolled to do so, to ensure that they are suitably qualified within stipulated timescales. Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 6 Staff have a clear understanding of how attachment difficulties experienced by young people in their formative development might affect their behaviour. The nurturing philosophy and focus on creative approaches to behavioural management help to ameliorate these issues and enable young people to build their self-esteem and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

resilience. There is a clear understanding of young people’s complexities, which are considered within the home’s safeguarding approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The current method of supervision encourages staff to reflect on their practice to identify their strengths and areas for development. Leaders, who are qualified in delivering supervision, provide feedback and identify specific areas for training, but written records do not include focused discussions of young people’s experiences, needs and plans. However, young people are discussed in detail in regular team meetings to ensure consistency of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and her experienced deputy have well-organised systems in place to monitor young people’s progress and to identify any strengths and areas of development of the home. Young people’s views are regularly encouraged through their weekly meetings as well as through consultations and keywork sessions. Leaders welcome the input of external monitoring to improve effectiveness and incorporate the views of other professionals and family members. Numerous plans are being developed throughout the company to streamline and improve methods of recording. However, children’s and stakeholder’s views, and areas of development are not identified in the review of care report. The registered manager is keen to rectify these shortfalls and is considering creative ways to incorporate children’s views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The recommendations made at this inspection do not undermine the exceptional, high- quality and individualised care that the young people experience in the home.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspector

Karen Willson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456417 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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